The present invention relates in general to metering machines and in particular to a new and useful apparatus for transferring ink to the plate of the printing or franking head of a metering or franking machine with an interchangeable ink storage roller and at least one ink transfer roller.
In a commercially available, known apparatus of the aforementioned type, a journal is provided at each end of the ink storage roller, which can be placed at right angles to the roller's longitudinal direction, through a window in a casing part of the metering machine.
Replacement of the roller, however, is difficult, because contact with the ink by the hand is unavoidable. Additional contact may take place at the time of distributing, filing, packing, throwing away, etc. of the roller, so that soiling of the hands with ink cannot be prevented. In addition, the sequence of operations is mechanically complicated.
Such metering machines include postage meters and the like.